Department of Health and Social Care

Gender Identity Development Service: Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust

Lord Blencathra: To ask His Majesty's Government what categories of 'serious incident' are reported to the Directors of the Gender Identity Development Service at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust; and from which categories of 'serious incident' reported is data available.

Lord Markham: Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust follows the NHS England’s Serious Incident framework to identify, report and learn from incidents. Information specifically on the categories of ‘serious incident’ reported at the Trust is not held centrally.

Diphtheria

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the incidence and impact of diphtheria in the UK.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of diphtheria in migrants arriving via irregular transit routes.

Lord Markham: There is an effective vaccine against diphtheria which in the United Kingdom is offered as part of the routine childhood programme. Vaccination offers high levels of protection against symptomatic disease, meaning that it is a very rare infection in the UK where vaccination coverage is high. The risk of diphtheria to the general UK public therefore remains very low.There was an increase in the number of cases of diphtheria detected among people seeking asylum in the last quarter of 2022, with a total of 73 confirmed cases of diphtheria among this population in England in 2022 and one case confirmed so far in 2023. The majority of these cases were detected in people arriving via small boat Channel crossings. There have been no linked cases in workers in asylum seeker settings or linked cases in the general public.The UK Health Security Agency, Home Office and NHS England are working with local partners to put measures in place to manage the risk of diphtheria in this population.

Cancer Drugs Fund

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of updates to the NICE health technology evaluations manual on access to treatments at the end of a Cancer Drugs Fund access agreement.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on patients with multiple myeloma of (1) updates to the NICE health technology evaluations manual, and (2) the forthcoming end of Cancer Drugs Fund access agreements for treatments.

Lord Markham: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated manual for health technology evaluations in January 2022 and has introduced a number of changes to make its methods and processes fairer, faster and more consistent. This includes the introduction of a broader severity modifier in place of the end of life modifier. Analysis carried out by NICE in the development of the modifier indicates that the vast majority of cancer medicines, including for blood cancers, that would be eligible for the end of life modifier would also be eligible for a weighting under the severity modifier.In 2022/23, 89% of NICE’s final recommendations on cancer drugs were positive, including all of the cancer medicines appraised using NICE’s updated methods and processes. No cancer medicines have completed their exit from the Cancer Drugs Fund using NICE’s updated methods and processes. However, NICE has released positive final draft guidance for the first, which treats a blood cancer.

Nurses: Vacancies

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address shortages in the nursing sector, with particular regard to specialist roles.

Lord Markham: We are on track to meet the commitment to 50,000 extra nurses in the National Health Service in England by 2024, with almost 43,000 more nurses in February 2023 compared with September 2019. This includes nurses working in specialist nursing roles. Additionally, there are over 5,300 more doctors and over 12,300 more nurses working across the NHS compared to a year ago.

Radiotherapy: Standards

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps NHS England is taking to ensure standardised approaches to developing molecular radiotherapy services across the country.

Lord Markham: NHS England, as the accountable commissioner for radiotherapy services, is responsible for setting evidence-based national service standards for radiotherapy, including service specifications and clinical commissioning policies. These arrangements will be further strengthened by the establishment of nine specialised commissioning joint statutory committees, which will bring regional specialised commissioning expertise and integrated care systems together.

Medical Certificates

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out anyestimate of how many appointments annually are requested for doctors to approve sickness absences for periods of less than three days; and whether they have reviewed the requirement for doctors to authorise such sickness absences to in order to reduce workloads for doctors.

Lord Markham: A statement of fitness for work, commonly known as a fit note or ‘med 3’, is a form of medical evidence that can enable an individual to access health-related benefits or evidence eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay. Healthcare professionals cannot issue fit notes during the first seven calendar days of sickness absence as employees can self-certify for this time.We have made several changes to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for general practitioners to free up time for appointments. This includes expanding the range of healthcare professionals who can sign fit notes and publishing the bureaucracy busting concordat, setting out seven principles to reduce unnecessary burdens in general practice in consultation with Royal College of General Practice and the British Medical Association.

Department for Business and Trade

Small Businesses: Health

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking tosupport small business owners struggling with low levels of wellbeing.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Government has taken action to support small businesses by reversing the National Insurance rise, saving small businesses approximately £4,200 on average, as well as raising the Employment Allowance to £5,000. The network of 38 Growth Hubs across England provides access to information and advice to SMEs, alongside our free Business Support Helpline. Businesses can also use the Apprenticeship Service to find out about funding to pay for apprenticeships. Furthermore, small businesses can access the Recovery Loan Scheme which helps smaller businesses access loans and other kinds of finance up to £2 million per business group so they can grow and invest.

Arms Trade: Sudan

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask His Majesty's Government in (1) how many cases, and (2) to what value, (a) military equipment, or (b) dual purpose equipment, useable in war conflict has been the subject of export licence applications for supply either (i) directly, or (ii) indirectly, to Sudan; and how many approvals have been granted in each of the last three years.

The Earl of Minto: In the last 3 years, 1 export licence has been applied for and approved to Sudan that we have assessed as potentially useable in war conflict. The military goods in this licence were personal protective equipment for international humanitarian use and the value of the licence was £188,000. Please note that data from 1 January 2023 has not yet been published as Official Statistics by HM Government, therefore we have not included any information regarding applications processed from this date.The Government assesses each export licence application against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria and will not issue a licence where to do so would be inconsistent with the UK’s international obligations and commitments to respect arms embargoes and sanctions. The Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 include provisions for licensing military items when they are for use by the UN for peacekeeping and, or humanitarian purposes.

Department for Transport

Freight

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the measures in place to coordinate infrastructure, planning and energy policies, nationally and locally, to support the delivery of a National Freight Network.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In “Future of freight: a long-term plan” (Future of Freight) published in June 2022, the Government recognised planning, energy infrastructure and undertaking the work necessary to identify a National Freight Network as areas requiring priority action. This work is underway. The Government will shortly publish a call for evidence to obtain the appropriate evidence so that the planning needs of the freight and logistics sector can be properly and effectively considered. To support the delivery of zero carbon energy infrastructure the Future of Freight prioritised the creation of a Freight Energy Forum. This forum, comprising stakeholders from the freight, energy, regulatory and government sectors met in April 2023 and will prioritise the development of a Zero Emission HGV Infrastructure Strategy. The Government will work with the Freight Council to support work to identify a National Freight Network.

Transport: Capital Investment

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the UK’s freight transport capacity of decisions to delay (1) HS2, and (2) the third road investment strategy (RIS3), construction.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HS2 will release capacity on the West Coast Main Line which will be used for additional local and regional passenger trains and freight. No decisions have been made as to exactly what trains will run and work is ongoing to develop the optimal service pattern which best meets the needs of passengers and freight customers. Rephasing of HS2 will be taken account of in this work as it develops. HS2 has not been delayed in terms of Phase 1 and Phase 2b to Manchester. The Government has not undertaken an assessment of the impact on freight of the delivery of schemes being developed in the Roads Investment Strategy 3 (RIS3) pipeline in RIS4. This is because those schemes were not committed nor fully developed. The Government has announced that two RIS2 schemes - A27 Arundel and A5036 Princess Way in Liverpool – will be deferred. In addition, construction of Lower Thames Crossing will be slowed down by two years to ensure that there is an effective and deliverable plan.

Freight and Union Connectivity Review

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the delivery of a National Freight Network; when they will publish their response to the Union Connectivity Review; and what consequence their response will have for the National Freight Network.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: In “Future of freight: a long-term plan” published in June 2022, the Government announced that, with the Freight Council, it would undertake the work necessary to identify a National Freight Network by developing a fuller understanding of the domestic freight network across road, rail, maritime, aviation, inland waterway and warehouse and distribution infrastructure. This work is underway and will be the subject of engagement with stakeholders in due course. Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill’s independent Union Connectivity Review, published in November 2021, considered transport connectivity across the UK. Considering the scale and breadth of the review, we are taking the time necessary to consider Lord Hendy’s recommendations and engage with the devolved administrations.  We will publish our response as soon as is practicable. The development of the National Freight Network project takes account of Lord Hendy’s recommendations and will align with the Government’s upcoming response.

Transport: Infrastructure

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what forecast they have made of the logistics infrastructure investment required over the next 30 years to support (1) UK business growth, (2) freight transport capacity growth, (3) freight transport decarbonisation, and (4) communities.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The Government has not made an economy wide needs assessment for logistics infrastructure, such as warehouse and freight interchanges. The current and forecast needs of the road and rail freight sectors inform the prioritisation and delivery of the Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) and the Rail Network Enhancements Programme (RNEP).

Treasury

Financial Services: Disclosure of Information

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government how many cases of whistleblowing were reported and investigated by the Financial Conduct Authority in (1) 2022, (2) 2021, (3) 2020, and (4) 2019.

Baroness Penn: The FCA has reported and investigated the following number of whistleblowing cases for each year given: in 2021-2022, 1,119 cases;in 2020-2021, 1,153 cases;in 2019-2020, 1,046 cases;and in 2018-2019, 1,041 cases. As a Prescribed Person under the Public Interest Disclosure Act, the FCA has made this information publicly available in its Annual Report and Accounts since 2017. Figures for 2022-2023 will be published in July in the FCA’s upcoming Prescribed Persons report.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Workplace Pensions: Regulation

Baroness Altmann: To ask His Majesty's Government when they will respond to theLocal Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Governance and reporting of climate change risks consultation, which closed on 24 November 2022, and for which the regulations were expected to be in force by April 2023.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: The Government is continuing to analyse the responses received to the consultation and will respond in due course.

Cabinet Office

Sharing Economy: Employment

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many "gig economy" workers thereare in the UK workforce at present; and how many there were in each of the previous five years.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A holding response to the Noble Peer’s Parliamentary Question of 18th April is attached in the answer and the completed response will be deposited in the House of Lords Library. The Rt Hon. the Lord Field of BirkenheadHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW03 May 2023Dear Lord Field,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many "gig economy" workers there are in the UK workforce at present; and how many there were in each of the previous five years (HL7206). Statisticians at the Office for National Statistics are currently undertaking additional analysis to answer your question and will place a copy in the House of Lords Library as soon as it is complete.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian DiamondUK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 106.1KB)

Foreign Investment in UK: Exports

Viscount Waverley: To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of UK exports derive from inward investment into the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A holding response to the Noble Peer’s Parliamentary Question of 25th April is attached in the answer and the completed response will be deposited in the House of Lords Library. The Rt Hon. the Viscount WaverleyHouse of LordsLondonSW1A 0PW11 May 2023Dear Lord Waverley,As National Statistician and Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of UK exports derive from inwarde investment into the UK (HL7457). Statisticians at the Office for National Statistics are currently undertaking additional analysis to answer your question and will place a copy in the House of Lords Library as soon as it is complete.Yours sincerely,Professor Sir Ian DiamondUK Statistics Authority  (pdf, 105.8KB)